Fastener assembly for mounting of wall-recessed cabinets and similar fixtures

ABSTRACT

A fastener assembly, for securing a cabinet into a subframe previously installed in a masonry wall opening, in the form of a flexible spring clip hooking into one of the notches on a serrated anchorplate, with one of said fastener elements being secured by pop rivets to each outer side surface of said cabinet and the other fastener element being affixed to corresponding locations on the inner side surfaces of said subframe.

United States Patent Inventor Joleph C. Grmo New York, N.Y.

Appl. No. 882,207

Filed Dec. 4, I969 l'nlcnted Nov. 16, I97I Asnigncc AccessorySpecialties, Inc.

New York, N.Y.

FASTENER ASSEMBLY FOR MOUNTING 0F WALL-RECESSED CABINETS AND SIMILARFIXTURES 1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 220/18,

52/36, 174/48, 174/58, 220/3.5, 220/3.7, 312/242 Int. Cl B6511 25/24Field of Search 220/3.5,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,015,455 1/1912 Neesham220/8 1,850,292 3/1932 Skelly 220/18 2,288,637 7/1942 Mauro 220/182,297,862 10/1942 Bachmann... 220/3.6 2,482,651 9/1949 Burt 220/89 A X2,752,217 6/1956 Simon 220/3.6 X 2,877,505 3/1959 Stephens 220/8 X3,388,706 6/1968 Muirheid 220/8 X Primary Examiner-Joseph R. LeclairAssistant Examiner -James R. Garrett Attorney-Daniel P. ChernoffABSTRACT: A fastener assembly, for securing a cabinet into a subframepreviously installed in a masonry wall opening, in the form of aflexible spring clip hooking into one of the notches on a serratedanchorplate, with one of said fastener elements being secured by poprivets to each outer side surface of said cabinet and the other fastenerelement being affixed to corresponding locations on the inner sidesurfaces of said subframe.

PATENTEUunv 18 Ian FIG. 1

FIG. 3A

FIG. 3

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a fastenerassembly for the ready mounting of wall-recessed cabinets andsimilar-type fixtures into a subframe previously installed in a wallopening.

it has heretofore been conventional to recess-mount cabinets and similarfixtures into masonry walls by either framing the opening with wood orinstalling a subframe, similar to a door frame, into the wall opening,typically at the time of erection of the wall structure, and thereafterat a later time installing the cabinet fixture to the subframe or woodframe with conventional fastener means such as rivets, screws anchorbolts or the like. The difficulty experienced in utilizing this prior anassembly technique is that considerable time and labor must be expendedat the installation site to position and align the fastener rivets orbolts into predrilled holes fonned into the cabinet sides, andthereafter to drive the fasteners into engagement with the subframemember and wall. Also, errors caused by improper measurements maynecessitate the reworking of the wood frame and the tile walls atconsiderable expense. Further, the fact that the fasteners must beinserted and driven from the interior of the cabinet frequently resultsin an awkward and thus time-consuming installation procedure as thescrewdriver or other work tool must be positioned and used in a crampedor near-inaccessible location inside the cabinet walls. Not infrequentlythe fixture is chipped, dented or otherwise damaged by uncontrolledslippages of the work tool as the workman struggles to press and securethe fastener in the cramped confines of the cabinet. Accordingly, a realneed exists for a fastener assembly for securing securing a fixture to asubframe in a wall-recessed installation which provides rapid, easy,permanent and theft-resistant mounting of the fixture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention utilizes a novel fastenerassembly for recess-mounting of the cabinetlike fixture into a masonrywall, in the form of a flexible spring clip hooking into one of thenotches on a serrated anchorplate, with one of the fastener elementsbeing secured by pop rivets to each outer side. surface of the cabinetfixture and the other fastener element being affixed to correspondinglocations on the inner side surfaces of the previously installed cabinetsubframe. The factory prearrangement and installation of the fastenerelements in pair groupings at the respective locations on the cabinetand subframe surfaces insures that automatic alignment and rapidmounting of the cabinet into the wall-recessed subframe member can beeffected at the job site by the simple expedient of inserting thefixture inside the subframe opening and push ing it inward to thedesired depth.

The spring clip and anchor fastener combination functions as aratchet-and-pawl mechanism to engage and permanently secure the cabinetfixture to the subframe by permitting only unidirectional relativemovement between the two members so as would more tightly nest the oneinto the other. Moreover, the placement of the fasteners on all fourside surfaces of the cabinet provides an automatic centering action onthe positioning of the fixture inside the subframe opening, as well asserving to more equally distribute the fastener stress over the walls ofthe fixture.

Once inserted in the subframe opening to the desired depth the cabinetfixture is rigidly and permanently held therein. However, in the eventit later becomes necessary or desirable to remove the cabinet from thewall-recessed subframe to permit repair or replacement of the former,this can readily be accomplished by using a chisel or screwdriver,together with a hammer, to knock off, from the interior of the cabinet,the heads of the pop rivets securing those elements of the fastener pairassembly which are affixed to the sides of the fixture, therebydisengaging the cabinet member from its fasteners and permitting it tobe slid out from the subframe.

It is therefore a principal objective of the present invention toprovide a new and improved fastener means for mounting a cabinet orsimilar-type fixture into a wall or a wall-recessed subframe.

The foregoing and other objectives, features and advantages of thepresent invention will be more readily understood upon consideration ofthe following detailed description of the invention, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective viewof an illustrative wall-recessed cabinet installation utilizing thefastener assembly of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of thefastener assembly of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top sectional view showing the cabinet fixture of FIG. 1 asinstalled.

FIG. 3A is an enlarged detail view of a portion of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the Figures,there is shown a conventional rectangular cabinet fixture l0,exemplarily in the form of a paper toilet seat cover dispenser, havingsidewalls ll, top wall 13, bottom wall 17 and backwall 19. As depictedin FIG. 3 the fixture is designed for recess-mounting in a masonry wall15 with the body of the container fitting inside the wall and only thefront face 12 and a marginal flange portion 14 protruding forwardlybeyond the confines of the wall surface.

As illustrated in the exploded view of FIG. 1 and in the sectional viewof FIG. 3, the fixture is configured to nest inside a rectangularsubframe member 20 which in turn nests inside a wall opening 16 ofappropriate dimensions formed in the wall 15. The subframe 20 isprovided with a pair of perforated masonry anchors 22 on each jamb orvertical side surface 24 for securing the member inside the wallopening. Typically the installation of the subframe member 20 inside thewall opening 16 would be made at the time of construction of the masonrywall, although it could be installed at a later time in which case othersuitable fastener means might be utilized in lieu of the anchors 22 toprovide a secure mounting of the subframe member to the wall.

It will be understood that thus far the description has related topurely conventional aspects of the cabinet-fixture configuration andinstallation procedure which are well known to the art and form no partof the present invention.

Attached to the outside of each of the four side surfaces (i.e.,sidewalls 11, top wall 13 and bottom wall 17) of the cabinet fixture isa spring-finger element 32 which together with an associated serratedanchorplate element 36 form the novel fastener assembly combination 30(FIG. 2) of the present invention. The spring 32 is comprised of a baseportion 32a which is secured to the side surface, preferably by poprivets 34 for ready dismantling of the fastener assembly if needed, andan angled projecting leg portion 32b. The spring element 32 in eachinstance is positioned on the related side surface with the angled leg32b projecting forwardly at an acute angle toward the face panel 12 andaway from the backwall 19.

At corresponding positions on the inside of the sidewall surfaces (i.e.,jambs 24, top wall 26 and bottom wall 28) of the subframe member 20 arepositioned and affixed the mating anchorplate elements 36. The anchorsare in the form of a rectangular plate having a flat bottom surface forsecuring by soldering, adhesive or other suitable fastening means to thesurface of the subframe sidewall, and a serated top surface. Theserrations are arranged as a row of sawtooth ridges 36a orientedparallel to the front edge of the respective sidewall surface of thesubframe. The teeth 36a, as illustrated in FIG. 3A, are biased (i.e.,angled) rearwardly so as to function as a unidirectional ratchet surfaceto engage the pawllike finger 32b of the spring element 32.

The engagement between the two fastener elements 32 and 36 is such as topermit easy insertion of the cabinet fixture into the subframe as therespective spring finger tips 32b depress and slide over the slopingleading surfaces of the sawteeth 36a of the associated anchorplates.Then, when the desired insertion depth is reached with the fixturecompletely nestled inside the subframe, the tips of each of the springfingers fall into the nearest notch and lock against the right-angledtrailing surfaces of the adjacent anchor teeth so as to secure thefixture firmly in a rattleproof manner and prevent its withdrawal fromthe subframe mounting.

To provide a secure mounting with equalized distribution of fasteningstress over the four sidewall surfaces of the fixture it is usuallydesirable to employ at least one spring clip-anchorplate assembly oneach of the respective sidewall surfaces. This also serves to provide anautomatic self-centering alignment of the fixture as it is insertedinside the subframe for mounting. Thus, for the typical cabinet fixtureof approximately square dimensions, four of the fastener assemblies ofthe present invention would be used. In cases where the fixtures wereunusually large or narrow, additional fasteners would be employed onsome or all of the sidewall surfaces.

It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the elements ofthe fastener assembly could, with ready modification, be interchanged,with the spring clip 32 being affixed to the subframe and the serratedanchor 36 mounted to the fixture sidewall, so as to provide thepawl-and-ratchet-locking action for the installation in a manner similarto that of the preferred embodiment described herein.

The terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoingabstract and specification are used therein as terms of description andnot of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of such termsand expressions, of excluding equivalents of the features shown anddescribed, or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope ofthe invention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

l. A quick mounting assembly for theft-resistant installation of acabinetlike fixture in a wall opening comprising:

a. a subframe having a set of four sidewalls for holding said fixture,said subframe including subframe-fastening means for securing saidsubframe in said wall opening independently of said fixture prior to theinstallation of said fixture;

b. a fixture having a set of four sidewalls for nesting within said fourmating sidewalls of said subframe;

c. a fixture-fastening means for holding said fixture in said subframe,said fixture-fastening means comprising pairs of mating fastener acutelyone element of each pair being affixed to the inner surface of each ofsaid four sidewalls of said subframe and the other element of each pairbeing affixed to a corresponding mating clip on the outer surface ofeach ratchet-and-pawl said four sidewalls of said fixture, so that uponinsertion of said fixture in said subframe the holding forces betweensaid fixture and said subframe are distributed among said four pairs ofexternal and d. one of each pair of said fastener elements comprising aflexible spring clip having a base portion and an acutely angledprojecting finger portion, and the other mating element of each paircomprising a serrated anchorplate formed of a plurality of sawtoothridges, said sawtooth ridges being angled with respect to said springclip so as to provide a unidirectional ratchet-and-pawl mechanismautomatically engaged by insertion of said fixture inside of saidpreviously secured subframe and, when so engaged, preventing withdrawalof said fixture from said subframe, said fastener elements beingshielded from external manipulation by the respective walls of saidsubframe and fixture so as to prevent subsequent disengagement of saidelements and withdrawal of said fixture from said subframe by anunauthorized person.

sixes PA" Patent No. 3 ,ggg ,494 v Dated November 15 1971 nv nt flJeeeioh C, It is certified that error appears in the above-identifiedpatent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

(201. 1, Line 33 Delete "securing- {double inclusion) Rewritesubparagraph ((2) of elaim l, it appears at Col. 4, lines 10-20, t0 readas follows:

--c@ a fixture means at balding said fixture in said subframe, saidfixture fastening means 4 comprising pairs of mating fastener elements,ene

a of eacl. pair being affixed to the inner surface ch of said foursi-fiewalle of said subframe and of each pair Eseing affixed. CO arreepenclir matirig locatien on the outer euriace each of fear sidewalls(if said fix-tat e0 subframe are distributed amen; four pairs of walls;and--

1. A quick mounting assembly for theft-resistant installation of acabinetlike fixture in a wall opening comprising: a. a subframe having aset of four sidewalls for holding said fixture, said subframe includingsubframe-fastening means for securing said subframe in said wall openingindependently of said fixture prior to the installation of said fixture;b. a fixture having a set of four sidewalls for nesting within said fourmating sidewalls of said subframe; c. a fixture-fastening means forholding said fixture in said subframe, said fixture-fastening meanscomprising pairs of mating fAstener elements, acutely one element ofeach pair being affixed to the inner surface of each of said foursidewalls of said subframe and the other element of each pair beingaffixed to a corresponding mating location on the outer surface of eachof said four sidewalls of said fixture, so that upon insertion of saidfixture in said subframe the holding forces between said fixture andsaid subframe are distributed among said four pairs of walls; and d. oneof each pair of said fastener elements comprising a flexible spring cliphaving a base portion and an acutely angled projecting finger portion,and the other mating element of each pair comprising a serratedanchorplate formed of a plurality of sawtooth ridges, said sawtoothridges being angled with respect to said spring clip so as to provide aunidirectional ratchet-and-pawl mechanism automatically engaged byinsertion of said fixture inside of said previously secured subframeand, when so engaged, preventing withdrawal of said fixture from saidsubframe, said fastener elements being shielded from externalmanipulation by the respective walls of said subframe and fixture so asto prevent subsequent disengagement of said elements and withdrawal ofsaid fixture from said subframe by an unauthorized person.